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Trail running shoes are specifically designed for running in various types of "off road" environments. This includes woods, forests, grass, desert, hills, mountains, streams, rocks, gravel, mud, ice, snow, beaches, and switchbacks. The technology in a trail trainer differs from a street trainer in a number of ways to optimize running performance off the pavement. For this reason, if you currently run on or plan to run on trails, I highly recommend that you get a trail oriented running shoe. Below you'll learn about all the different ways a trail specific trainer can be better than a street shoe in the wild yonder. You'll also find a list of my favorite trail shoes at the bottom of this page. Enjoy, and happy trail running! Trail shoes have thicker midsoles to allow a runner to run over things like rocks and sticks without feeling them. Since you can take a significantly harsher beating on trails, the thicker midsole also benefits you by making the integrity of the cushioning last longer. Trail shoes are stiffer to help reduce twisting and increase stability. Another device found in a trail shoe that increases stability is a more rigid heel counter/cup. It wraps around the back of the heel to the sides of the heel to keep you from twisting your ankles. You'll also find the lacing system to be more advanced than a street shoe. When you lace up a trail shoe, you get more all around support and stability around your foot rather than just at the top of your foot. Some really good trail shoes actually lace up around the ankles and this keeps you a whole lot more protected from injuries. The outsole of a trail shoe is significantly more aggressive than a street shoe's. When looking at the bottom of a trail shoe, you will notice a series of spike-like, or knob-like protrusions. These are designed to increase traction, as trail running usually involves more slippery surfaces (i.e. wet, uneven, softer). Some trail shoes will have a special rubber that will get sticky when it gets wet so you can increase your chances of keeping your feet when running on wet damp surfaces. A trail running shoe's upper is made out of durable synthetic leather or close weaved nylon mesh. These materials are designed to keep the elements out of your shoe and away from your foot. You will notice that a trail shoe will do a much better job at deflecting things such as rocks, loose gravel, water, and wind than a street shoe. Some trail shoes will feature Gore-Tex lining or a similar material, which will make it completely element proof. Very important in a trail shoe is a toe bumper. It's a hard piece of rubber that outlines the forefoot's perimeter at the tip of the toes. This ensures that if you hit a protruding rock or get caught in a crevice in the ground you won't get injured (i.e. bruise or break your toes). Below is a list of my favorite trail running shoes. Many of them are great all around trainers, but if they have a particular feature that will help in more specific environments I will let you know with words such as "waterproof," "aggressive tread," etc.. Pay attention to the following notations for further details on each shoe.
Stability New Balance 908 - Plus / Balance Montrail Hard Rock - Plus / Aggressive Tread / Waterproof Nike Air Trail Pegasus - Standard / Multi Merrell Overdrive Waterproof - Standard / Balance / Waterproof
Neutral Pearl Izumi SyncroSeek - Standard / Balance / Multi ADIDAS Adizero XT - Performance
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